Dr Helix wrote:.. And I find myself feeling their pain and wanting to help. But.......I think to myself "I'm not giving them MY ticket." And I feel sorta bad about that. But not too bad. Is this asshat behavior? Or am I just doing the classic "You can help this child.....or you can turn the page" dismissal?

Dr. Helix, you're sweet. My ticket request is right up there (I wrote a POEM!) and truthfully speaking, I didn't even expect anyone to read yet react to my post. I was wrong! I got a nice comment and some private messages from people inviting me for a drink at their camps in case I got in. Scanning the thread means you're not turning the page. Nobody in the 'Tickets wanted' section expects you to give them your ticket. Nobody in the 'tickets wanted' section expects you to choose them over your friends. So don't feel bad about it, just enjoy the awesome feeling of having a ticket.

I think peoples best bet at this point is to keep in touch with your local burner community. I love this forum and the people on it (especially the assholes,) however, if I can't make the burn this year, the first place I'm looking to sell my ticket is to my local community. Next I would check to see if any long time contributors to this forum are looking (Ratty, etc.) I have no doubt in my mind I would be able to sell my tickets and VP before having to result in STEP or the first time posters in the tickets wanted section.

I am one of those hoping my reason for needing a VP will move someone to "choose" me. Desperate people act desperately. Twice since I have been attending (2000) I have had to sell my tickets. You bet I looked for someone that stood out or had a reason that moved me in some way, even if it made me laugh. Both times they went to someone in my area who explained why they felt that year was particularly important to them. I met in person both couples and they emailed us photos of themselves at the event. It helped me feel a part of it in some way. Lots of people need tickets or A VP. I never thought to judge someone based on the number of posts here. If I don't find a VP then my tickets may be for sale. I posted here as a last resort, my local community already knows I need a VP. I'm sure it will find me. After I read this post I realized it is an odd thing to do. I guess it's a testament to the powerful feelings the event evokes.

Reading a number of tickets wanted requests and there is one other thing that jumps out at me; the number of people who do all their advance planning for the event (plane tickets, media passes, vacation plans) around Burning Man but DON"T HAVE A TICKET. If it's me and I didn't have a ticket, I would have bailed a long time ago. I know that there is a certain line of thought that if you work it long enough, ticket(s) will find you. I'm not even talking about people who are close and on a whim could go. I'm talking about people who made MAJOR travel plans, spent lots of money and yet did not START with a ticket. Again, am I out of line here? And also, why should I care because I seem to.

Someone on our Utah group just got scammed by a heartbreaking story, new baby, hardships, in the military ... "seller" had a ticket number. Even asked for, and got, extra money for his family. Via fucking Western Union. It hardens my heart, makes me distrust the posts here. We don't know who is posting here when they have no history. I urged him to file a police report and give the info to ticketing, but he is reluctant because "he doesn't want to spoil someone else's time". Gah.

When will people learn Western Union = scam?
The number probably came off of eBay where a few sellers have shown ticket numbers. Hate to be the buyer of any of those since they are likely cancelled. Or it could have just been made up.

I'm getting a little bit of a bad vibe/sense of superiority off a lot of these comments. Especially ones that read the wanted tickets requests for a "chuckle". Really?
You don't want us to go to scalpers, but you laugh at the people asking for tickets here?
Sorry if some are not as lucky as you to have secured a ticket.... and I sure don't think we are there for your entertainment.
I mean, where in the heck is the sense of community?
Not the type of comments I expected from this type of event, and honestly, you should feel ashamed of yourself.
Feel free to read my humorous request for a ticket, nothing like getting laughed at instead of laughed with.

In 1966 I would sit at the table with my grandparents and eat breakfast before school (high school) and I remember him saying " There are two kinds of people in the world; the Have's and the Have-Nots" and I also remember thinking that he was so out of touch and that when I was older the world would be different.

"It will seem difficult in the beginning. But everything seems difficult in the beginning."- Musashi

mandycap247 wrote:I'm getting a little bit of a bad vibe/sense of superiority off a lot of these comments. Especially ones that read the wanted tickets requests for a "chuckle". Really?
You don't want us to go to scalpers, but you laugh at the people asking for tickets here?
Sorry if some are not as lucky as you to have secured a ticket.... and I sure don't think we are there for your entertainment.
I mean, where in the heck is the sense of community?
Not the type of comments I expected from this type of event, and honestly, you should feel ashamed of yourself.
Feel free to read my humorous request for a ticket, nothing like getting laughed at instead of laughed with.

I think a lot of us who have tickets really do feel bad for those that don't. Maybe we snark because there's not a whole lot more we can do about it. Then there are people who only come to eplaya to look for a ticket. And that's fine we want you to find tickets at face value. It's overwhelming and kind of sad and maybe some just need to vent. I probably didn't explain this to well and this is only my opinion. I do hope you find your ticket. I read your post and saw that your friend got hers so I'm crossing my fingers for you.

I think a lot of us who have tickets really do feel bad for those that don't. Maybe we snark because there's not a whole lot more we can do about it. Then there are people who only come to eplaya to look for a ticket. And that's fine we want you to find tickets at face value. It's overwhelming and kind of sad and maybe some just need to vent. I probably didn't explain this to well and this is only my opinion. I do hope you find your ticket. I read your post and saw that your friend got hers so I'm crossing my fingers for you.

I am utterly shocked at the comments here. I am not a beggar.
So they came to eplaya just to look for a ticket? Isn't that kind of the point? Plus, these comments make me feel so unwelcome, regardless of the reason why I am here.
I have thought about going for years, but never had anyone to attend with. Now I do. But honestly, after reading this, I don't want to anymore.

mandycap247 wrote:I'm getting a little bit of a bad vibe/sense of superiority off a lot of these comments. Especially ones that read the wanted tickets requests for a "chuckle". Really?
You don't want us to go to scalpers, but you laugh at the people asking for tickets here?
Sorry if some are not as lucky as you to have secured a ticket.... and I sure don't think we are there for your entertainment.
I mean, where in the heck is the sense of community?
Not the type of comments I expected from this type of event, and honestly, you should feel ashamed of yourself.
Feel free to read my humorous request for a ticket, nothing like getting laughed at instead of laughed with.

What isn't obvious is the past years when there were no limits on conditions attached to ticket requests. People would ask for gift tickets freely, and offer all sorts of crazy stuff in return. It was wild. "Laughing Forest" was not a real person, but some one who would try to top their own begging post each year. It was harmless fun, because there were tickets around, and no one was excluded.

Now there are no incentives allowed, just straight face and fees. Ten pages of requests, may from people who will not get tickets. It is heart-rending. Eplaya is shifting gears from fun to oh shit. It is not a perfectly smooth transition.

But yes, if I had a spare ticket, it would go to a campmate first, and then I'd look for an eplayan I'd been interacting with all year. While I read every ticket request, and find many of them worthwhile, there is an order to how people react. Should people stop asking here? No. But I have seen some of the early askers stay and interact, and they were able to find tickets. Be involved. Learn about eplaya, why it is the way it is. We may joke around, but we will not bullshit you. And we are all actually big mushy marshmallows on the inside. Honest. Go look through the bar thread, or the Fuck thread, or RIP. Have you looked in those forums? No? You're missing some of the heart of the eplaya then.

I hope you find your ticket so you can meet us in person, see that we do not have horns and fangs. Tails, maybe.

mandycap247 wrote:I am utterly shocked at the comments here. I am not a beggar.
So they came to eplaya just to look for a ticket? Isn't that kind of the point? Plus, these comments make me feel so unwelcome, regardless of the reason why I am here.
I have thought about going for years, but never had anyone to attend with. Now I do. But honestly, after reading this, I don't want to anymore.

The first time I came here on eplaya was to look for a ticket, but I acted like I was asking people a favor, not like they should be all charitable and welcoming. I was asking a favor of strangers. On the other hand, believe me, nothing anyone told ME was going to change whether I came or not. NOTHING. NOBODY.

I guess that's one two three of the differences between you and me.

Last edited by Lonesomebri on Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Camp THREAT: Dominating the porta potties 3 years running."If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others?"
- Voltaire, Candide

Actually the point of this board is that we are a community here. Look at post counts on some of us and the length of time we've been on here. The subtitle of the board is 'for the other 51 weeks'. And we are on here the other 51 weeks. We meet up at the burn, outside of the burn, teach others how to burn - hell how many Figjam coolers have been built? Compare notes, what works, what doesn't. We post on here when our loved ones and pets are sick or die, when we change jobs, get fired, retire.

So yeah, when someone's first post is to ask for a ticket... And you get all butthurt because we aren't all 'love & light' on you...guess what, the burn isn't all love & light either. Burners are sarcastic & snarky AND full of love for each other.

mandycap247 wrote:I'm getting a little bit of a bad vibe/sense of superiority off a lot of these comments. Especially ones that read the wanted tickets requests for a "chuckle". Really?
You don't want us to go to scalpers, but you laugh at the people asking for tickets here?
Sorry if some are not as lucky as you to have secured a ticket.... and I sure don't think we are there for your entertainment.
I mean, where in the heck is the sense of community?
Not the type of comments I expected from this type of event, and honestly, you should feel ashamed of yourself.
Feel free to read my humorous request for a ticket, nothing like getting laughed at instead of laughed with.

What isn't obvious is the past years when there were no limits on conditions attached to ticket requests. People would ask for gift tickets freely, and offer all sorts of crazy stuff in return. It was wild. "Laughing Forest" was not a real person, but some one who would try to top their own begging post each year. It was harmless fun, because there were tickets around, and no one was excluded.

Now there are no incentives allowed, just straight face and fees. Ten pages of requests, may from people who will not get tickets. It is heart-rending. Eplaya is shifting gears from fun to oh shit. It is not a perfectly smooth transition.

But yes, if I had a spare ticket, it would go to a campmate first, and then I'd look for an eplayan I'd been interacting with all year. While I read every ticket request, and find many of them worthwhile, there is an order to how people react. Should people stop asking here? No. But I have seen some of the early askers stay and interact, and they were able to find tickets. Be involved. Learn about eplaya, why it is the way it is. We may joke around, but we will not bullshit you. And we are all actually big mushy marshmallows on the inside. Honest. Go look through the bar thread, or the Fuck thread, or RIP. Have you looked in those forums? No? You're missing some of the heart of the eplaya then.

I hope you find your ticket so you can meet us in person, see that we do not have horns and fangs. Tails, maybe.

Actually the point of this board is that we are a community here. Look at post counts on some of us and the length of time we've been on here. The subtitle of the board is 'for the other 51 weeks'. And we are on here the other 51 weeks. We meet up at the burn, outside of the burn, teach others how to burn - hell how many Figjam coolers have been built? Compare notes, what works, what doesn't. We post on here when our loved ones and pets are sick or die, when we change jobs, get fired, retire.

So yeah, when someone's first post is to ask for a ticket... And you get all butthurt because we aren't all 'love & light' on you...guess what, the burn isn't all love & light either. Burners are sarcastic & snarky AND full of love for each other.

Butthurt? Wow, what an even nastier comment.
Yes you are so full of love for eachother. Ok.
It is not snarky or sarcastic, your name calling is rude and nasty behavior.
No, the POINT of the board is centered around an EVENT. Hence the name, Burning Man. You can make it into your personal haven for information about each other, but the
nasty comments should be saved for private messages between each other. So you know each other outside of BM? Ok great.
I have never had the opportunity to meet any of you in person. I have 64 views, and not one person has conversed with me. Regardless of what I am asking for. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black.
Everyone was new once.

What isn't obvious is the past years when there were no limits on conditions attached to ticket requests. People would ask for gift tickets freely, and offer all sorts of crazy stuff in return. It was wild. "Laughing Forest" was not a real person, but some one who would try to top their own begging post each year. It was harmless fun, because there were tickets around, and no one was excluded.

Now there are no incentives allowed, just straight face and fees. Ten pages of requests, may from people who will not get tickets. It is heart-rending. Eplaya is shifting gears from fun to oh shit. It is not a perfectly smooth transition.

But yes, if I had a spare ticket, it would go to a campmate first, and then I'd look for an eplayan I'd been interacting with all year. While I read every ticket request, and find many of them worthwhile, there is an order to how people react. Should people stop asking here? No. But I have seen some of the early askers stay and interact, and they were able to find tickets. Be involved. Learn about eplaya, why it is the way it is. We may joke around, but we will not bullshit you. And we are all actually big mushy marshmallows on the inside. Honest. Go look through the bar thread, or the Fuck thread, or RIP. Have you looked in those forums? No? You're missing some of the heart of the eplaya then.

I hope you find your ticket so you can meet us in person, see that we do not have horns and fangs. Tails, maybe.

I am not asking people to seek me out, and offer me a ticket for free, or to look over their friends obviously. Nor is the large majority of the people in the wanted ticket section. 60,000+ people, I'm betting they all don't know each other. I'm also betting that a lot of those people lead very different lives than their friends, and probably don't know too many people who are interested in going to BM. I can also bet that out of those 60,000+ people, who have actively participated in the event for years, many have never been to this forum.
I believe in face to face contact, to make a quality connection with people. Call me old school I guess. I certainly don't want to get to know people who assume I am a beggar, call me butthurt, etc.

I came here and made a post based on a recommendation. My friend and I wanted to experience this together. She has been going for the last 4 years? She also tried to make a screen name here, and for some reason it wouldn't accept her request. I have screen shots to prove this.

mandycap247 wrote:No, the POINT of the board is centered around an EVENT. Hence the name, Burning Man. You can make it into your personal haven for information about each other, [snip]

Yes, you are correct, this board is about an event. It is not just a place to look for tickets - it's a place to talk about the event, get information about the event, find a camp, learn what works & what doesn't, ask for help with plans, with food, with simple things like shoes and more complex things like building art cars and wiring projects for lights, and athousand other things. It's also a place to stay in touch with friends from all over the world you met at that event. Sorry if you think that's somehow a lessor use than your desire to go, but making human connections out there is one of the greatest things that happens.

Yes, the current ticket situation sucks, and it sucks hard, but that's not the fault of anyone on here, and it's not the fault of Burning Man. This thread is a whole bunch of people who can't do anything about that, and see friends of ours unable to get tickets, and see strangers who won't make it, and they're bitching about it. Some of that is bitching about the posts themselves (like AntiM said, people are still adjusting to the reality of what "sell out" means), but they're allowed to do that as much as you're allowed to say you don't like it. We censor people as little as possible here.

Take a breath, work on finding a ticket, and look around the rest of the board. Even if you don't make it this year you'll find tons of information that will help you in the future, and you might find out that ePlaya really is centered around "an EVENT", not just tickets.

It's a camping trip in the desert, not the redemption of the fallen world - Cryptofishist

Yes, you are correct, this board is about an event. It is not just a place to look for tickets - it's a place to talk about the event, get information about the event, find a camp, learn what works & what doesn't, ask for help with plans, with food, with simple things like shoes and more complex things like building art cars and wiring projects for lights, and athousand other things. It's also a place to stay in touch with friends from all over the world you met at that event. Sorry if you think that's somehow a lessor use than your desire to go, but making human connections out there is one of the greatest things that happens.

Yes, the current ticket situation sucks, and it sucks hard, but that's not the fault of anyone on here, and it's not the fault of Burning Man. This thread is a whole bunch of people who can't do anything about that, and see friends of ours unable to get tickets, and see strangers who won't make it, and they're bitching about it. Some of that is bitching about the posts themselves (like AntiM said, people are still adjusting to the reality of what "sell out" means), but they're allowed to do that as much as you're allowed to say you don't like it. We censor people as little as possible here.

Take a breath, work on finding a ticket, and look around the rest of the board. Even if you don't make it this year you'll find tons of information that will help you in the future, and you might find out that ePlaya really is centered around "an EVENT", not just tickets.

Yes, and I have done just that. I have read many things here, have watched many videos, spoken to someone I personally know about going.
I have never said it was a lessor use than my desire to go.
You are allowed to complain, but it unnecessary to call people beggars, butthurt, or to assume what what their knowledge and participation is based on one comment on a thread. You know I clicked on this specific thread right? I clicked on it thinking it would bring something positive, and it has done the complete opposite.

You joined, what, 5 days ago? And you are telling US what the purpose of eplaya is? Ok, so maybe you browsed as a guest for awhile. How long? A week? Two? There are people who have been here for YEARS, making this place what it is. Yet you feel you can tell us we are all mistaken?

I do hope you can secure a ticket. Really. Because if you do go to BM and see the outpouring of love and support out there, and then come back here....I think it will all make sense. Eplaya is that little kid who is all sassy and yet, for some reason, you can't help but love them and tousle their hair saying "oh, you little rapscallion".

Actually the point of this board is that we are a community here. Look at post counts on some of us and the length of time we've been on here. The subtitle of the board is 'for the other 51 weeks'. And we are on here the other 51 weeks. We meet up at the burn, outside of the burn, teach others how to burn - hell how many Figjam coolers have been built? Compare notes, what works, what doesn't. We post on here when our loved ones and pets are sick or die, when we change jobs, get fired, retire.

So yeah, when someone's first post is to ask for a ticket... And you get all butthurt because we aren't all 'love & light' on you...guess what, the burn isn't all love & light either. Burners are sarcastic & snarky AND full of love for each other.

Butthurt? Wow, what an even nastier comment.
Yes you are so full of love for eachother. Ok.
It is not snarky or sarcastic, your name calling is rude and nasty behavior.
No, the POINT of the board is centered around an EVENT. Hence the name, Burning Man. You can make it into your personal haven for information about each other, but the
nasty comments should be saved for private messages between each other. So you know each other outside of BM? Ok great.
I have never had the opportunity to meet any of you in person. I have 64 views, and not one person has conversed with me. Regardless of what I am asking for. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black.
Everyone was new once.

You couldn't have known this, but you'll see it if you look at the Tickets Wanted forum: ePlaya regulars try not to bump ticket-seeking threads with conversations (encouragement OR criticism). This helps insure that everybody gets a chance, however low. This being a seller's market, sellers do not need to look at "Tickets Wanted" at all, they need only post in Tickets Offered--so hover there.

This thread is just a discussion of how seasoned Burners manage their conflicting feelings on ticket scarcity and how they choose whom to sell to, not an indictment of you, whom we do not actually know. (You don't know our intent or our experience either, and you wont unless you meet us in person). If you'd like to start a conversation other than this one, please start a thread in the "Introduce Yourself" forum. Folks with greeter-style elements to their personalities often gravitate there to give a proper welcome. You can also just jump in if you'd rather--post in The Bar thread under Open Discussion, or play the "In 3 Words" game or "The Person Below Me". (I never officially delurked or introduced myself; I just started talking. It helped that I didn't assume I knew what was in the hearts of everyone here.)

You might not do any of this, since you've already announced an intent to take your ball and go home, but I sincerely wish you luck in getting a ticket.

*** 2018 Survival Guide ***
"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger